Off-Road Vehicle Plan
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United States Department of Agriculture Final Environmental Assessment Forest Service Tusayan Ranger District Travel Management Project April 2009 Southwestern Region Tusayan Ranger District Kaibab National Forest Coconino County, Arizona Information Contact: Charlotte Minor, IDT Leader Kaibab National Forest 800 S. Sixth Street, Williams, AZ 86046 928-635-8271 or fax: 928-635-8208 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternate means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Printed on recycled paper Chapter 1 5 Document Structure 5 Introduction 5 Background 8 Purpose and Need 10 Existing Condition 10 Desired Condition 12 Proposed Action 13 Decision Framework 15 Issues 15 Chapter 2 - Alternatives 17 Alternatives Analyzed in Detail 17 Comparison of Alternatives 27 Alternatives Considered, but Eliminated from Detailed Analysis 27 Standard Mitigation Measures 28 Monitoring Implemented For All Alternatives 28 Comparison of Effects (Summary) 30 Chapter 3 - Environmental Effects 33 Transportation 33 Direct and Indirect Effects of Alternatives 37 Recreation and Scenic Resources 40 Soils and Watershed 50 Wildlife 58 Invasive Weeds and Sensitive Plant Species 71 Heritage 78 Alternative 3 85 Vegetation Management 86 Fire and Fuels Management 87 Range 89 Economics/Social 92 Environmental Justice 97 Chapter 4 - Consultation and Coordination 98 Appendix 1 Proposed Forest Plan Amendment 100 Appendix 2 Response to comments 87 Glossary 101 References 164 List of Figures Figure 1. Map of Tusayan Ranger District and location of National Forests in Arizona....................... 6 Figure 2. Location of ecosystem management areas. ............................................................................ 8 Figure 3. Existing roads and unauthorized routes crossing Tusayan Ranger District (2005 data)........11 Figure 4. Locations of proposed camping corridors and recreation access routes............................... 19 Figure 5. Proposed action road system open to motorized travel compared to existing roads. ........... 21 Figure 6. Proposed action motorized big game retrieval opportunities with one-mile road buffer...... 23 Figure 7. Alternative 3 open road system compared to existing roads. ............................................... 24 Figure 8. Alternative 3 big game retrieval opportunities with one-mile road buffer............................ 26 Figure 9 . Cross-country motorized damage during 2008 hunting season........................................... 38 Figure 10. Dispersed camping on the Kaibab National Forest (2007)................................................. 43 Figure 11. Drainage network of ephemeral streams on Tusayan Ranger District................................ 52 Figure 12. Existing road-ephemeral stream crossings on Tusayan Ranger District............................. 53 Figure 13. Kaibab Forest Archaeologist inspects cultural site heavily impacted by campers. ............ 84 List of Tables Table 1 Existing forest road system and unauthorized routes on Tusayan Ranger District (2005 data).10 Table 2. Current forest road system by maintenance level, Tusayan Ranger District (2005 data)....... 12 Table 3. Summary of existing and proposed action road systems for Tusayan Ranger District. ......... 14 Table 4. Proposed action road summary............................................................................................... 22 Table 5. Existing and Alternative 3 road systems comparison............................................................. 25 Table 6. Comparison of alternatives..................................................................................................... 27 Table 7. Summary of effects for Tusayan travel management planning by resource area................... 30 Table 8. Road maintenance costs by alternative. ................................................................................. 34 Table 9. Arizona resident current and expected recreation participation for selected activities SCORP 2008)................................................................................................................................47 Table 10. Estimated numbers of motorized big game retrievals occurring annually onTusayan Ranger District 2004-2006........................................................................................................... 68 Table 11. Proximity of cultural resources to open roads...................................................................... 82 Table 12. Estimated annual economic output by sector in Tusayan..................................................... 94 Table 13. Tourism contribution to Arizona economy. .......................................................................... 94 Table 14. Selected categories of spending for Coconino County by year............................................ 95 Table 15. Recreation related economic contributions. ......................................................................... 95 Chapter 1 Document Structure The Forest Service has prepared this Environmental Assessment in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other relevant federal and state laws and regulations. This Environmental Assessment discloses the direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental impacts that would result from the proposed action and alternatives. The document is organized into four parts: • Introduction: This section includes information on the history of the project proposal, the purpose of and need for the project, and the agency’s proposal for achieving that purpose and need. This section also details how the Forest Service informed the public of the proposal and how the public responded. • Comparison of Alternatives, including the Proposed Action: This section provides a more detailed description of the agency’s proposed action as well as alternative methods for achieving the stated purpose. These alternatives were developed based on significant issues raised by the public and other agencies. This discussion also includes possible mitigation measures. Finally, this section provides a summary table of the environmental effects associated with each alternative. • Environmental Effects: This section describes the environmental effects of implementing the proposed action and alternative. This analysis is organized by resource area. Within each section, the affected environment is described first, followed by the effects of the No Action Alternative that provides a baseline for evaluation and comparison to the Proposed Action. • Agencies and Persons Consulted: This section provides a list of preparers and agencies consulted during the development of the environmental assessment. • Appendices: The appendices provide more detailed information to support the analyses presented in the environmental assessment. Additional documentation, and analyses of project-area resources, may be found in the project planning record located at the Kaibab National Forest Supervisor’s Office in Williams, AZ. Introduction The Tusayan Ranger District Travel Management project encompasses the entire Tusayan District of the Kaibab National Forest. The District contains 331,427 acres. Tusayan Ranger District (TRD) is located just south of Grand Canyon National Park South Rim and borders the Navajo Indian Reservation to the east, Havasupai Indian Reservation and Arizona State and private land to the west and south. The District is not contiguous with other National Forest System lands. The District is located in portions of Townships 28, 29, 30 and 31 North, and Ranges 1 West and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 East. Figure 1 shows a map of the project area and its proximity within the State of Arizona and National Forests within Arizona. The project area encompasses Geographic Areas (GA) 8, 9, 10, 21, and 22 as identified in the Kaibab National Forest Land Management Plan (Forest Plan), and Arizona Game and Fish Department Game Management Unit (GMU) 9. Figure 1. Map of Tusayan Ranger District and location of National Forests in Arizona. The Geographic Areas are described in the Kaibab Forest Plan as amended (2008): GA 10 contains 86,250 acres. The ponderosa pine vegetation type dominates the area at higher elevations. The principle elk calving, deer and pronghorn antelope fawning, and turkey nesting habitat in the TRD are located here. Most of the area is grazed by cattle from late spring until fall. GA 21 includes the developed recreation sites on the Forest encompassing a total of 1,556 acres. For Tusayan Ranger District, developed recreation sites include Ten-X Campground and Ten-X Group Campground. These campgrounds are closed to OHV travel in the Forest Plan. GA 22 includes proposed recreation development sites,